Chapter 2: Grandma’s Ultimatum
The smell of jasmine tea filled the small kitchen as Ava stared at her grandmother across the table. Mei Lee sat calmly, her tiny frame perfectly straight, hands wrapped around a steaming cup. The kitchen, cluttered but cozy, was a testament to decades of family memories. Polaroid photos of smiling relatives adorned the fridge, a faded calendar hung on the wall with dates scribbled in Chinese characters, and a line of porcelain cats perched on the windowsill, each facing slightly askew like a feline choir caught mid-song.
"You’re serious about this, aren’t you?" Ava finally broke the silence, gripping her own untouched cup of tea. "You’re really retiring?"
"Of course," Mei said, her voice light but firm. "Do I look like someone who jokes about retirement?"
Ava gave her a long look. Mei was wearing a sweater emblazoned with a cartoon panda eating a bowl of ramen. It was hard to imagine her being serious about anything.
"This is a terrible idea," Ava said, leaning back in her chair. "I don’t know the first thing about matchmaking."
Mei’s lips quirked into a sly smile. "You plan weddings. Matchmaking is just the prequel."
"That’s not how it works," Ava protested. "Weddings are about logistics. Matchmaking is... emotions and destiny and... whatever it is you do with those weird charts."
Mei’s eyes twinkled. "You mean the bazi compatibility charts?"
"Yes, those," Ava said, waving her hand. "You can’t just hand me a business based on, what, the phases of the moon?"
Mei set her cup down with a soft clink. "Ava, do you know why I’ve been so successful?"
Ava groaned. "Because you’re stubborn and people are too scared to argue with you?"